Locke in the World of Ruin
by theclumsystallion
Summary: This story follows Locke through the world of Ruin. It starts after the air ship crashed and follows Locke through a bout of amnesia and other interesting adventures ending with his meeting up with his friends at Pheonix Cave.
1. Amnesia

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\f0\fs24 \cf0 The sun was hard pressed on Locke's face. It was so hot out. The sun was unnaturally bright now. Locke rolled over onto his back, but winced as he rolled onto a sharp rock. His vision was still blurry. How long had he been sleeping for? Days? Weeks? The horrible stench of death hung in the air. Locke pulled himself up, but stumbled again.\  
Locke groned. His leg was broken, probably in a few places. His mind was so blurry he couldn't remember a thing. Locke's mind jumped at the thought of having amnesia, and scrambled to gather the remnants of what was left of his shattered memory.\  
"An island," his mind spoke. "An island in the sky." The words seemed strange. A ship came to mind, a ship of the sky. Locke remembered standing on the deck, staring out as birds flew by him. Friends had been with him. Powerful friends. They needed to get to the island in the sky.\  
"Where am I?" he asked himself. The wind brushed by his cheeks. The sun was high in the sky, and clouds of dust whisked by his face. He felt the cool breeze and relished in it for a moment. It smelled salty. There must be water nearby.\  
Locke limped slowly, woundering if there might possibly be any town near by. Locke woundered for a moment if he had a home somwhere out there. His mind flashed through his remaining memories, but all that came back was restless nights sleeping in Inn's and staying with kid strangers, but the faces were all a blur.\  
Locke limped around. studying his surroundings, he watched for saw that he was in the mountains somewhere. Somewhere. He must be high up because he could see for miles around.\  
'There must be somewhere I can go.' thought Locke. 'A town or someone who will help me.' Locke dragged his broken body up the cliff till his body fell onto the grass from exhaustion. Locke felt a trickle of liquid down his legs. Looking down Locke saw that blood had was emerging from the hole in his leg. Locke rolled over, panting for his life. How had he gotten into this mess?\  
Removing his bandana from his head, Locke pulled it around his leg and tied it tight. Locke winced in pain and tried to straighted the break in his bones as best as he could. More needed to be done. He needed a brace.\  
Locke found a sturdy stick and braced it against his leg. he pulled off his shirt and ripped a few pieces off. Tying the brace to his leg, Locke smiled in satisfaction to see his work. He needed to be careful still, but the brace would do for now.\  
"It's a little shabby, but the price is right." Locke chuckled to himself. Locke nearly lost his balance then as a flood of memories came back. High on a city platform, a soldier. Green uniform. No, he was an empire soldier. The empire? Locke couldn't make the connections in his memories. Who was the empire.\  
Locke rubbed his head with his hand, noticing for the first time the large cut in the back of it. Locke brought his hand forward to find it covered in blood. He had hit his head fairly hard. His bandana must have been sealing it until now. Locke's body wouldn't stand for much more blood loss. With no idea what he might do, Locke pulled his head to the sky.\  
"Help!" he cried at the top of his lungs. It echoed into the depths of the mountains. There couldn't be anyone for miles. "Help!" cried Locke again, but only on instinct. He knew no one could hear him. Locke looked down across the landscape. There was ocean and plain as far as he could see.\  
Locke then squinted harder into the distance. Just out of his sight, blocked by the cliff Locke was standing on, house tops protruded. Locke's heart skipped a beat. The houses looked almost untouched. He was saved. Locke carefully pulled himself up, and stumbled down the mountain toward the town. It was close enough, that maybe, just maybe.\  
Locke's mind left the pain in his body for a moment to relish in the idea of a nice warm bed. Some warm food, perhaps a nice drink? That would be perfect right now. Just a few more steps and he would have it all . . .\ \  
Three agonizing days later, Locke fell through the last bit of thick brush onto smooth plain. Locke had expected to fall into soft grass, but instead found dust flying into his face as he slumped onto dry dirt. Locke gasped for air and the dirty sand filled his lungs. Coughing and hacking to get it out, Locke lay a cheek on the ground. His splint had broken more times then Locke could count in the last three days. Locke didn't feel like repairing it again, and decided dragging himself along the ground into the city was the best option at this point. Locke pulled his hand forward and grasped at the ground. The heat was too intense. Locke needed to get as far as possible toward the city before he might pass out. Locke was using all his effort to pull, his sweat running down his face, mixing with the dry dirt. Locke was covered in dirt.\  
Locke finally felt his body start to give in to the exhaustion. "Help!" he cried out with all his strength, but it only sounded like a whisper to him. His mouth was completely dry. The landscape was completely flat, without a sign of life anywhere. Locke didn't remember living in a world like this. He didn't want to.\  
'Maybe it was okay to die here.' thought Locke. He couldn't remember anything that might be worth living for, and the landscape surrounding him seemed completely desolate. No life, no hope.\  
Locke let his body sink into the ground. Death was a perfectly wounderful option. Locke almost felt a smile cross his face as he relished in the thought of just allowing himself to pass on right there. The warm sun sucking the only water on his body off his back. His clothes clung to him, dry as the dirt he lay on.\  
Then Locke heard voices in the distance, and pattering of legs. What was that sound. The voice were crying to him. Perhaps they were coming to take him to the other side? That would be nice. At least it might be cool there. Comfortable.\  
The voices seemed to be fading from his mind, but he was sure they were coming closer. Locke felt them coming closer but before he could hear what they said, Locke's mind let go of his body and was whisked away into subconcious.\ \  
"How about a turn at the wheel?" Locke awoke, standing on the deck of a ship. A long haired man was talking to him. He wore a brown trench coat, and his long grey hair blew in the wind. It was so cool up here. Locke saw his body was battered and bruised, but his leg was healed. He was wearing a blue jacket, and his bandana was in tact over his head.\  
The man was explaining the functions of the craft. Locke knew this was important, but his mind was far off, relishing in the comfort of the billowing winds. His jacket whipped around at his sides. The man with long grey hair stepped aside to reveal a large wheel. Locke stepped forward and grasped it in each hand. It was cold to the touch, but power rushed through him immediately. Locke realized suddenly that this huge vessel was at his very will and command.\  
Locke looked into the clouds high above, determined to touch them himself. He pulled back and felt the vessel beneath him pulling upsard, higher and higher . . .\  
"Are you awake sir?" a far off voice asked.\  
Locke's eyes shot open. A woman was bent over his body. He lay in a soft bed. His leg was numb and he felt a long bandage around his head. The woman had grey hair wrapped into a bun at the back of her head. She stared at him with the deepest concern.\  
"Your eyes were sort of flickering, I wasn't sure if you were awake or not." she asked. "Are you hungry sir?"\  
"Where am I?" Locke asked.\  
"Jidoor." the woman answered. "I am a maid here. My master asked that I take care of you while he is out."\  
"Your master?" Locke asked.\  
"Yes. He says he knows you. He calls himself Impressario."\  
That name jolted Locke's memory. He knew he'd heard it before. Somewhere . . .\  
"He told me you helped his out of a it of a spot once."\  
Locke nodded, not wanting to reveal he had no idea what she was talking about. She smiled down at Locke and pulled herself off the bed. "I will get you something to eat. Impressario won't be home for a few days, but he would want you to make yourself at home. Anything to eat?"\  
Locke nodded. He didn't care what, but suddenly realized how hungry he was. The grey haired woman nodded and left the room.\  
Locke lay back in the bed. It was what he wanted. Was he really dead? He made a mental note to ask the woman. He closed his eyes again. He wanted to be flying again. He wanted control of the vessel again. He could feel the wheel in his hands, cold steel. The wind blowing in his hair, and before Locke could stop himself, he fell into deep sleep again.} 


	2. Impressario

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\f0\fs24 \cf0 "I won't talk to you unless you get me my cider." the old man started back at Locke, then returned to his desk. Locke was furious. This man was intolerable. He couldn't get around that Magitek gaurd outside, and this old grounch wasn't helping at all. He'd slowed the take over long enough, but now he needed to get back to Narshe. His friends were waiting.\  
"Listen old man, I need to get out of this-"\  
"I won't talk to you till you get me my cider." Locke wanted no more then to rip the mans lungs out, but Locke knew that if he even moved to attack the man would call for help, and Locke alone would be for nothing.\  
Locke turned on his heel and tore out of the house. He needed a quick disguise. A merchant would do, for now. Grab the cider and get the passage out of the town.\  
"He's in here." said the maid. Locke shot awake. He was back in his bed staring at the ceiling. That dream had been less pleasent, but believed it was probably a better chance of that memory then flying an air ship being reality.\  
Locke tried to sit up in his bed, but he instantly collapsed back down on the bed. A man walked forward.\  
"Oh, don't strain yourself." said the voice. The man had curly blond hair which seemed to be desperately trying to be controlled, but stuck out messily as if completely stressed out. The man laid a hand down on Locke's shoulder.\  
"Please stay seated. you have been sleeping for a few days. Are you feeling any better?"\  
"Yes." Locke said simply.\  
The man smiled thankfully. "That is excellent. It had been a long time since I have seen you." he said. Locke nodded, too embarassed to ask who the man his name. The man got up, seeming to stare at the ceiling in deep thought.\  
"Wasn't it a wounderful night though?" the man spun around at Locke startling him a little. "The finest performance ever to come to my opera! Action! Adventure! Romance!" The mans eyes glittered far off in his own world. Locke found himself holding back a chuckle, The looked back down at Locke. "It's been difficult to do ever since. Some of the things you people did on stage, spectacular!" The man knocked a lamp off the wall while swinging his hands out. He looked clumsily at it. The maid hurried to clean it up.\  
Locke wanted desperately to ask the man what he was talking about. Locke had no such recolection of being in a Opera house once, let alone performing one. Locke wanted to beg the man for explanation,\  
"Of course ever since the show has never been the same. Maria does very well at being that woman you were with, but that purple octopus! What a complicated costume." The man looked down at Locke cocked an eyebrow at Locke. "Say, you wouldn't mind telling me how that costume was made, would you?"\  
Locke shook his head, not daring to met the man's gaze. The man sighed. "Well, it was worth a try, but I must return to the opera. Get well soon lad, and there is work open for you at the opera if you so desire."\  
Locke sank back into his bed. 'I've been in an opera?' he asked himself. He couldn't remember a thing of it. If only he could take a walk through his memory, see the events again. It seemed to help him to retrace thoughts in his mind, then he started up with an idea.\  
"Wait!" shouted Locke after the man. The man walked back into the room, looking slightly puzzled.\  
"Anything else I can do for you?" he asked.\  
Locke nodded. "I'd like to see the opera." he said. The man blushed looking flattered."Well, I suppose it might be fun for you, yes it is very well directed, of course made a few creative changes myself." he looked over at Locke with a smile. "Though you do already know the ending, just don't go telling anyone." With that the man left, and Locke only heard him talking behind the door.\  
"You hear that? Our reputation has gone far. I want him looking sharp for the performance now. He will have box seats with me. Make sure he gets there with time to spare. He can use my carriage. Please insure he is ready on time."\  
The maid responded a quick yes to all of this, and with that Locke heard the mans footsteps exiting the house and slamming the door.\  
The maid entered back into the room. "Well, I suppose your feeling better then?" she fussed a bit with the blankets covering Locke. "You know, i wouldn't guess for the life of me by looking at you you'd enjoy an opera, much less have participated in one. Impressario is constantly raving about you." she continued on like this while in the room. Locke settled back into the bed. Tomorrow night he would leave and hopefully the opera would reveal some of the holes in his memory.\  
The room began to dissapear, and in front of him was a beautiful blond haired woman singing on the edge of a castle. Locke longed to come forward to touch her, but the dream switched gears before he could take a step.} 


	3. The Opera

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\f0\fs24 \cf0 Locke could not remember the last time he'd been so excited to leave the house, although he thought quite ironically, he couldn't remember much of anything at all. The old maid had been very nice to Locke, but Locke felt it so aqward that he should know her and her employer yet he could not recognize either of them. She would go on and on about this opera that had happened, and Locke had no such idea what she was talking about.\  
Locke had even found the strength within himself to walk around the town, but it looked so unfamiliar. Nothing in his mind seemed to unhinge this door to his memories.\  
In Locke's travels through the town, hee had visited a doctor to inquire about his lost memory.\  
"You must surround yourself with anything that might be familiar. Friends, places."\  
Locka had told the man that he had no recollection of any friends at all, and didn't remember anything about the past. The doctor had insisted telling Impressario about it so he might help in restoring Locke's memory, but Locke had immediately declined, not wanting to let Impressario know he had been holding up for so long.\  
The maid had dressed up Locke in some fine clothes that were supposedly Impressario's. They had fit quite well, and when Locke had initially declined, the maid insisted Impressario would rather see Locke dressed well then his clothes then not dressed well at his opera.\  
"When you get there, tell the doorman you are with Impressario. You will be seated with him in his private booth." she then rolled her eyes. "I don't know what you have gotten yourself into boy. Please try to stay awake for him though. He is very proud of that opera you made."\  
Locke smiled politely and headed out the door. It was quite dark out now, and Locke saw that he didn't seem to be the only one preparing for the Opera. The town was alive with people from all strings of life getting ready for the Opera. They were all dressed up well, but Locke realized suddenly he had been quite overdressed.\  
He stepped down the front steps of the house where a chariot stood pulled by two large yellow birds. 'Chocobo's' Locke's mind reminded him.\  
The man directing the coach nodded his head politely to Locke, and Locke nodded in return.\  
"It's a wounderful night for the Opera." the man said.\  
Locke gave a faint nod and smile back. The man stepped down and opened the carriage door for Locke. The inside was all upolsterred in a violet velvet. Locke settled into a seat very comfortably. The windows were quite large, and Locke could look out into the night sky. It was very dark and clear, but the moon seemed to be covered by an odd yellow smoke hovering just under it.\  
Locke had been informed during his week here that the world had undergone an astounding change seemably in his absence, though no one seemed to believe him since he never admitted to his amnesia. Apparently a great continent had risen into the sky where it passed over the world day and night till eventually it collapsed. Light flew from the sky and the world changed shape. Continents seperated and rejoined, and it had been the 'End of the world'. Everyone seemed to laugh at this, since it could not be explained in any way.\  
Locke had come the the conclusion that was the source of his amnesia. He had most likely been hit by a falling rock which has brought on this amnesia, but he was still so curious where he had been before all this happened.\  
"To the opera house." the carriage pilot announced. The shuffled the straps that were connected to the chocobo's in his hands, and the carriage jerked forward.\ \  
The ride had been pretty uneventful and Locke had been almost as bored as he had been staying in Impressario's house. He knew that he must leave there soon too, or they would surely discover he had amnesia, and had set him up there always saying he would be off soon enough, but Locke had no idea where he might go when that time came.\  
He had planned to leave after tonight, as this would mark their verification that he was better, and hopefully the opera would bring back a flow of memories, though Locke found that he highly doubted that.\  
The land where they rode was much like that of where he had started. Completely flat and dead. The carriage kicked up a gust of dirt and dust behind it. Locke would have fallen asleep in the cart, but this was his first opportunity to catch a glimpse of the world outside that small city, and Locke had promised himself to take in every detail as something may just jog his memory.\  
The uneventful ride finally ended and Locke saw the looming building before him. Locke had a very faint idea what an Opera house mihgt look like in his mind, but this was most definately it.\  
Locke looked very hard at the house, but it was not jogging any memories.\  
"We'll go around the back mate." said the driver. Locke caught a glimpse of a long line of excited looking people ready to enter the Opera house. They all bustled with excitement, and Locke found the excitement building up inside himself as well.\  
"Woooooo." said the driver. The chocobo's halted in front of him. The driver stepped down from his perch and opened the door to the carriage. Locke reluctant} 


End file.
